~

It was hard for Law to detach himself from the hug Nami had enveloped him in at the airport right when the boyfriends crossed the gates and entered Goa. It was Luffy who had to pull the orange haired woman back because she was cutting off his Torao's air supply. It was only Nami in the airport but once outside, Law met all the Strawhats. The doctor had prepared himself to hear all kinds of harsh words and profanity from Luffy's nakama, for being the reason that their captain got dragged in the mess. Law had prepared himself for a lot of negative things but he wasn't expecting the pats on his back and the 'I am glad you're ok's with intended meaning. Nobody lingered though, Law knew Luffy was making sure of that.

Once in front of Luffy's brothers and the younger talking with them about living arrangements, it was then that Law felt the sudden vacuum in his chest. Ace and Sabo had told Law to at least sit down but the older was too anxious to actually understand what they had said and when.

"So Torao's staying in my room and remember no gluten in the food and Torao doesn't like bed even if it's gluten-free and when you are making milk tea, the black tea leaves need to be infused till the water is actually black ok? Torao makes it like that." Luffy told Sabo, feeling very accomplished and smart.

"I- I think I will stay at the hotel after all." Law said quickly, his eyes downcast, heart thudding loudly in his chest, the balls of his feet starting to ache from all the heaviness his body was feeling at having said those words, at feeling like a burden.

"Why?" Luffy asked not wasting a second, a frown already in place.

Law didn't know how to explain himself well enough in the moment, he didn't know if he could speak without his voice cracking and words failing, his brain had been blanking on him for quite some time so Law didn't trust himself to explain. It was Sabo, oddly enough, who came to the rescue.

"Luffy, maybe Law needs to breathe in his own space for some time." The blond brother said.

"Then Torao can take the other room we have." Luffy countered immediately and before Law could say anything in return, the younger turned to his boyfriend. "I'm not leaving you alone, you might do something stupid and I wouldn't know, so you're staying here where I can help quickly."

Law looked at Luffy for a few seconds before deciding to let the situation be and that Luffy was probably right about Law doing something stupid. "I'm going for a smoke." Law said pushing his bag in front of Luffy and walking out of the door.

"Funny guys said you can't smoke!" Luffy ran after Law, jumping over the bag and once he caught up with the older, he shoved his hands in Law's pockets, all of them and confiscated his cigarettes and lighter before the doctor could take them out himself.

"Give those back." Law warned.

"No, you're not supposed to be smoking, your heart is weak."

"I am also a heart doctor and I am telling you that my heart is fine."

"Still a nope, Torao." Luffy shook his head. "I can make you tea though, if you want."

Law stared at Luffy like he had grown five other heads. "You know how to make milk tea?"

"That's rude." The younger pouted but took his boyfriend's hand and led him back inside the house. "I've been learning."

Law shrugged, agreeing to the alternative. If the tea won't be good, at least the spectacle of Luffy cooking would be funny. Law sat himself down in the kitchen by the table and watched as Luffy donned a pink apron and started working on the ingredients, taking things out and putting it all back at the same time, hand on his hip when he was waiting for the water to boil. Law tried not letting the smile on his face get too big to control and hide, he tried push the happiness and affection he felt at watching his boyfriend make tea for him, that he learned specifically for Law.

The older noticed that the brothers were nowhere to be found, he wasn't really bothered by that, actually glad that he didn't have to guard his expressions in front of them. Law was brought out of his thoughts about the absent brothers when he smelled something burning and zoned back in towards the stove and saw smoke coming out of a pan that Luffy quickly took off the stove.

"Here's your tea and something to munch on." Luffy put a huge plate of biscuits on the table beside the tea. "And meat."

Law took a look at the meat and pursed his lips. "Are you aware that it is burnt?" Law pointed to the near black piece of meat his boyfriend had started chewing on.

"It's crispier this way." Luffy said as if the older was an idiot for not realizing it himself.

"If you have used that kind of logic on this tea and I get sick, I swear to Enel I will tie your intestines."

Luffy tilted his head on a side. "No I made it exactly like how Sanji taught me."

The doctor narrowed his eyes and upon a shrug from his boyfriend, sighed and brought the cup to his mouth, blowing on the contents first before taking a small sip, then a big one and another, then another.

"You made this? I don't believe it." Law said finally and took another sip, the tea was warm and bitter and sweet with just the right balance, not quite at the same level of heavenly bliss Sanji's tea brought but it was so very close.

"Hey! I told you I have been learning this and a few other things." Luffy pouted.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it, this is very good."

"Nishishi."

After Law had tea in his system and he felt somewhat better, the older decided he would take the spare room because he knew he would have urges be alone and Luffy was right, he needed to be kept an eye on. So when the night came, Law forsook the spare bedroom and went to Luffy's, because who was he kidding, there was no way he was having a chance at sleep alone. Luffy was still in the bathroom so Law got in bed before him and went through his messages.

"Torao! Catch!" Luffy's voice invaded Law's senses all too sudden but the older still had enough reflex time to put his hands up and catch whatever Luffy had thrown at him. It was a...

"A bananawani?" Law raised an eyebrow looking at the bananawani plush in his hands, it was extremely fluffy and no doubt very cuddly too with the size of it being half of Luffy.

"It's the same fluff as your towels so I thought it would help you when I'm not there." Luffy explained and got in bed too. The younger found his boyfriend not being able to speak so he decided to push him. "If you don't want it, I can add it to my own collection."

"I'm keeping it, back off." Law swatted at the younger's hands and hugged the plush close to himself in protection. Luffy grinned in victory.

Sometime in the night when the lights were all off and the air was calm enough but the boys still couldn't sleep, Luffy decided to confront Law about what happened earlier in the day. "So, why did you suddenly change your mind about staying here?"

Law found himself answering immediately. "I didn't want to be a burden."

"Torao you're not a burden. I don't think so, Sabo doesn't, Ace doesn't. Nobody does."

"Everyone has to adjust so much for me, be careful all the time too, that's being a burden."

"No," Luffy said with a roll of his eyes, thinking for the second time that day that perhaps Law really was stupid. "That's called care and everyone just does it naturally Torao."

"Nothing good happens to those who care for me, just saying."

"I'll take it."

~

Chopper looked from the patient board in his hands to the way Law was rubbing his neck and rolling his shoulders probably because they were knotted and sore. The younger doctor evaded eye contact when Law noticed him looking and instead changed the conversations. Chopper thought he would tell Luffy about it because since Law got to Goa a few days ago, he had been putting an inhuman amount of hours at the clinic, both at Grey Terminal and another welfare facility Chopper and his fellow doctors had set up in the low income area of Goa.

"Chopper! I scraped my arm!" Luffy's voice brought Chopper's focus away from the fatigued Law. "Oh! Torao's here too!"

Law and Chopper shared a look before Law relinquished the task of patching Luffy up to Chopper and took some patient files with him to check on the worse injuries and illnesses, Luffy's arm only had minimal bleeding so Law trusted Chopper to take care of it easily.

"Luffy." Chopper got Luffy's attention while tapping the blood away to get a cleaner look at the cut.

"Hmm?"

"Is Law resting properly?"

"What do you mean? He sleeps fine these days so..." Luffy answered but was still confused of what his friend was getting at.

"No, he just looks so tired and he's, I think he is overworking himself. Law's friends told me about what happened to his heart so this kind of fatigue is not good for him right now. His body is tired and I don't think he is resting enough."

Luffy hummed in thought at what his friend told him as he bandaged the arm. The younger looked around for Law and found him talking to a patient in the distance. Then Law looked over to where Luffy was but nodded to Chopper. Luffy looked from his reindeer friend to his boyfriend and wondered what that was about.

"Stay still Luffy." Chopper said and rubbed alcohol on a patch on skin on his captain's arm. Luffy looked at Chopper then at the approaching Law and saw the syringe in the older's hands. Luffy understood what was coming.

"Noooo! Let me go!" The boy moved to get away but Chopper had a firm grip on him because he knew Luffy would react that way to the tetanus shot.

"This is ridiculous." Law shook his head and got the syringe closer to Luffy's arm but couldn't inject it yet because the younger was moving around too much. "You can take a beating from Crocodile and Lucci but you can't take a needle?"

"That's different!"

"I'm holding him down, Law, do it." Chopper transformed into his human form and overpowered Luffy into being still for a few seconds and that was all Law needed to push the needle in the muscle and send the medicine in the body.

"Traitors." Luffy pouted wiping the tears out of his eyes and hopped off the bed Chopper had sat him down on.

"We don't have time for whiny patients." Law grinned and put the injection shot aside, rubbing his neck again to relieve the strain there. Luffy and Chopper shared a look at that and Luffy understood what Chopper was talking about earlier.

"You don't have many patients today right?" Luffy asked Chopper.

"No, the clinic's pretty much wrapped up for today." The reindeer answered, as if rehearsed and Law raised an eyebrow at the behavior, thinking it was suspicious.

"Ok! Since I can't work with my arm like this so we're taking an early day off! See ya later Chopper!" The younger grabbed Law's arms and dragged him away before the older could protest or even register what had happened.

"Wait!" Law dug his heels in the ground and stopped Luffy. "Why did you do that? I still had to look after people and make a list of things we used today and-"

"You're overworking." Luffy answered with a cross of his arms.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. You're sighing all the time and rubbing your neck and rolling your joints."

"So? I can still work." Law said and started walking back towards the clinic but Luffy swung the older on his shoulder again.

"You're not going back there until you've rested properly."

"Put me down!"

"You promise not to run?"

Law closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. "Fine! I won't!"

"Good!" Luffy put Law back on his feet and took his hand instead to make sure the older won't run away. "What do you wanna eat today?"

"I am too tired to decide." Law said and huffed as Luffy laughed at his sarcasm.

"It's ok, I'll decide."

"Yeah, take responsibility."

"Oh!" Luffy remembered and took out his phone. "Franky said he repaired the walls and stuff in the house and you can see it and make changes if you want. Wanna go later?"

"Ok." Law nodded. "Have you seen it yet though, the house?"

"Nope! I wanna see it with you."

When the boys arrived home, Luffy immediately pushed Law to take a shower which the older was going to do anyway, not wanting to risk patient germs. Luffy rubbed Law's hair dry then pushed him on the bed, face down and sat on his ass..

"What the fuck are you doing?" Law managed to ask between his red face and the suddenness of the situation.

"You need a massage."

Law immediately tried getting up, he knew Luffy had been learning things but there was no way was Law going to let the younger touch him like that knowing Luffy might accidentally push the wrong point and Law could end up losing feeling in his limbs for some time. "I don't need that!"

"Yes you do!" Luffy tried pushing Law back down.

"You're going to push the wrong point and-"

"I won't! Nothing happened to Chopper when I did it!"

"Tony-ya is a reindeer! I am a human! I hate to break it to you but humans have very different bodies!"

"It's going to be fine Torao, stop panicking!"

"No-" Law stopped in his attempts to flee when Luffy pushed his thumb in a specific point behind Law's shoulder and the older felt the familiar unknotting of the muscle almost immediately. Law stilled, that neither hurt nor did it take his movement away.

"See? I can do it."

"I still don't trust you with it completely but I will give you a chance." Law said and tried to push his anxiety aside and let Luffy take charge of the situation.

.

Ace shut the door behind him and put the groceries Sabo had told him to get on the kitchen counter. The black haired man put the perishables in their proper places and went to ask his brother and Law if they were up for food, Ace had seen the shoes near the door.

Ace ascended the stairs for Luffy's room, wondering why Luffy was back so early from his shift at the Grey Terminal but it all got thrown aside when he heard voices coming from the younger's room. Ace and Sabo were over eavesdropping on the boyfriends, they understood on a sub-lingual level that neither Law nor Luffy were the type to be predatory and once they found out that Law was Luffy's Torao from a lot of years back, the brothers lost all ill will towards the oldest anyway.

Ace and Sabo were over eavesdropping but the sounds Ace was hearing right then made him dive behind the wall and listen, to comprehend and then act.

"Ah yes, right there." Ace heard Law sigh and the brother bit his lip, wondering what the fuck was going on and how to justify that. "Fuck Luffy-yes there, don't stop."

"You like that?" Ace's eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he heard Luffy. "See, I told you I could do it."

"Bring it down a bit harder so I can feel it better." It was Law again.

What are they doing with the door open?! Ace looked at the open door and decided he would barge in but stopped when he thought that what if the two were doing exactly what it seemed like they were doing.

Shaking his head like a wet dog, Ace fucked it all to hell and opened the door the rest of the way to give the boyfriends a piece of his mind but before any words escaped him, his face turned red at the sight, not from anger, but from embarrassment.

"I thought your guys were fucking!!" Ace pointed an accusing finger at Luffy and Law, both were sitting on the bed and Luffy was standing on his knees to get a better angle at Law's shoulders and neck muscles for what really looked like a massage. Ace slapped his forehead and stomped his feet in his place.

"Ew."

"Ew." Both the boys spoke at the same time at the accusation.

"At least keep the door closed! Oh fuck! You guys are so embarrassing!" Ace was getting as red as Buggy's nose with the nonchalance the boys were exhibiting.

"Torao doesn't like closed doors." Luffy answered and resumed his work.

"Why are you home early today though?" Ace asked as a distraction from his blunder and sat down on Luffy's chair that was by the table.

"Scraped my arm." The younger pointed to the bandage with his eyes. Law was thankful Luffy didn't say more than that about how Law was also overworking and tired.

"Who was the unfortunate doctor for your tetanus shot?"

"Tony-ya held him down and I had to do the job." Law said shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation but suddenly, he was aware of why Luffy might be afraid of needles and once that thought registered, Law mentally kicked himself for not realizing sooner.

"They both betrayed me." Luffy pouted.

"Yeah, Luffy's never liked shots as far as I can remember or doctors." Ace recalled. "He once ate a bad fruit from the forest and got sick, he was seven then I think, Makino-san wanted that we take Lu to the hospital but he cried so loud that he didn't wanna go." Ace laughed to himself at the teary display his brother had put while he was so sick.

"He ate a random fruit from the forest and got sick?" Law raised an eyebrow, his glare stern on his boyfriend. "Where have I heard that before?"

"I was hungry!" Luffy justified.

"But you didn't learn."

"I learned after..." Luffy's voice was small and his energy was suddenly heavy around him.

Ace raised his eyebrows in confusion at what he was seeing, it felt like something had happened that he didn't know about. But the older brother didn't ask. "You guys up for food?"

"Yeah!" Luffy answered for everyone and went out with Ace to decide what to make or get. Law followed the brothers because the way Luffy jumped after Ace, Law knew the younger was avoiding the possibility of talking to Law about Drum again.

Once Ace was talking to the restaurant on the phone, Law grabbed Luffy and pulled him aside, behind the stairs and kept him from leaving by keeping a strong grip around his waist. "If I'm not allowed to feel guilty about what happened at Flevance, you are not allowed to feel guilty about what happened at Drum." Law said, pinpointing the root of the issue.

"But you almost died because of me..." Luffy said looking down.

"And you could have died in that facility, those marines always shoot first so they don't have to ask any questions. They could have shot you on sight and then you could have died because of me."

"But I didn't." Luffy grinned.

"I didn't too. So, stop feeling bad about it."

"You too."

Law kissed Luffy's forehead and let him go. The younger kissed Law's cheek and bounded off after Ace, chatting with him about the day's events. Law shook his head in fondness, they both would need to work on their recklessness regarding each other.

~